Monet Nicole - Birth Photographer + Co-Founder, Birth Becomes You
Monet is a Denver, CO-based birth photographer and doula who has supported and documented more than 600 births—home births, hospital births, c-sections, and water births—to date. Through her work, she not only supports and connects with mothers and their families during some of the biggest moments of their lives, but also provides an inclusive community for other birth photographers as the cofounder of Birth Becomes You, a far-reaching and impactful resource for birth photographers around the world.
The Basics:
Hometown: Colorado Springs, CO
Current city: Denver, CO
Alma mater: University of Colorado - Denver and Texas State
Degree: B.A., Creative Writing; MFA, Creative Writing
Very first job: Working for my dad’s home security business
Hustle: Birth Photographer; Co-Founder, Birth Becomes You
The Interests:
Babe you admire and why?
Kirsten Lewis. She’s an incredible documentary photographer who really helped create/define family journalism—but she also has this huge heart for people and education. She’s one of the best teachers/speakers in the photography industry, and she’s a really good person, too.
What’s your go-to coffee order?
Cortado with oat milk
Do you have a not-so-guilty pleasure?
All the gluten. I love baking and eating.
What’s one thing about Denver that you love?
Denver is becoming a big city, and I think that change has been hard on those of us who have been here for a long time. But even though so much has changed, I still find the people of Denver to be down-to-earth and authentic. We care about nature, about being outdoors, and about helping our neighbors.
The Hustle:
Tell us about your hustle.
I am a birth photographer and doula, which means I both support and document all types of birth stories: home births, hospital births, c-sections, water births. I’ve documented over 600 births in Colorado, and I attend between 4-6 births each month. I’m on-call for my clients 24/7, which means that sometimes I go to births during work hours, but most often I get called in the middle of the night or early in the morning. Some births are only a couple of hours long, while others can take 20, 30, even 40 hours. I’m also the co-founder of Birth Becomes You. We provide resources, online education, and community for new and experienced birth photographers around the world. So when I’m not at a birth, I’m editing, managing our social media pages, connecting with birth photographers both locally and internationally, and making sure my clients are feeling loved and supported as they approach their birth days.
Your photographs reflect the power and magic that women are capable of, as well as the beginnings of new life. How does it feel to be part of such monumental moments?
I still can’t believe I’m entrusted with such a sacred experience. To watch someone give birth is to witness life beginning again. It’s seeing our future expand. It’s capturing hope of better days, kinder days. I am forever connected to the clients I serve. I think of their stories time and time again… and I know they’ll stay with me for the rest of my life.
How has your job as a photographer changed since the pandemic began?
I’ve also been a doula for the last seven years, and so when the pandemic hit, I found that more clients were hiring me to both document their birth and offer physical/emotional support. Thankfully in Denver our hospitals have allowed doula attendance for almost the entire pandemic, which means I was able to support almost all of my clients in 2020 and 2021. The demands of this job certainly increased though. Wearing PPE for hours is hard. Supporting clients through all the sudden and sometimes scary changes is hard. Worrying about your own exposure to the virus after being in hospitals is hard. But I’m grateful I’ve been able to document my client’s strength and courage.
How have your past professional and academic experiences and lessons prepared you for the work you do today? How have they not prepared you?
I grew up wanting to be a writer. I read voraciously, and I pursued an undergraduate degree in Writing at CU Denver. After graduating, I thought I wanted to be a teacher, but quickly realized that I needed to work in a field where I could create (and also control my own schedule). I then pursued an MFA in Creative Writing at Texas State, where I read even more and workshopped my own writing with talented peers. I thought I wanted to be a fiction writer, but during my three years of graduate work, I realized that non-fiction writing was where my voice really stood out. Although photography and writing are different fields, I found that so many things I learned in my MFA program applied to the work I now do as a photographer. As a non-fiction writer, I loved finding and highlighting the pairing of two dissimilar objects or ideas. Human beings have always been fascinated by paradox, and good art often combines things that were previously held apart. As a photographer, and specifically a birth photographer, I take the same approach. Birth brims with contrasting experiences; it is both intensely physical and intensely emotional. And I think the combining of all these disparate concepts and moments is what makes my work interesting.
How has being a woman impacted your professional experiences? What can we collectively do to support and empower women in your industry today?
I’m lucky to work in a woman-dominated industry. In some ways, I feel like I’ve been able to experience what the world could and should be like for all women—where my gender doesn’t stand in the way of my goals or aspirations. BUT, as a female photographer in the larger male-dominated photography industry, I have noticed that many male photographers still view female photographers as hobbyists or “mom togs.” As a professional photographer who works in the birth space, I do sometimes feel like I receive less respect for my work than a professional photographer who documents/works in more male-heavy specialities. I’ve been on the receiving end of disparaging comments by male photographers who are shocked that anyone would want to document that. But at the end of the day, I’ve built an incredibly successful business, my work has been seen and recognized internationally, and I get to help new photographers learn/grow in a safe and inclusive environment. I’m really proud of all of that.
How has your own experience as a mother impacted your art?
I don’t think you need to be a mother or a parent to work in birth, but I do think it does allow a different level of connection. I still remember, so acutely, the feelings and emotions I had both leading up to my births and during my births. But I also bring a lot of my other life experiences to my birth work. To do birth work is to truly connect with what it means to be a human: the good and the bad, life and death.
How do you create a level of comfort between you and the women you shoot with?
The work leading up to a birth is largely intuitive. Each of my clients has a unique story and journey. My job as a birth photographer is to listen, truly listen, and then adjust my own process to match their specific needs. For some clients that means a lot of connection in the days leading up to the birth. For other clients that means respecting their need for space as they prepare for their birth. I wish I had a magical formula, but I find that I really do change my approach with each client I serve. But my goal is always that they feel safe and seen. I think many clients also appreciate the number of births I’ve attended. Having experience allows me to enter each birth space with a level of calm and ‘knowing’ that I simply didn’t have at the beginning of my career.
How do you ensure that you make it to each birth on time?
Good communication is key! I stay in close touch with my clients in the days leading up to their birth. But even with the best communication...I don’t always make it. Birth is always unpredictable—that’s the only thing I can say with any certainty!
What’s one thing you’re proud to have accomplished in your career thus far?
I’ve won awards and my work has been part of huge international advertising campaigns, but I think what I’m most proud of us is the work I do with Birth Becomes You. Being able to help other aspiring birth photographers learn about this incredible job and create a thriving business of their own brings me so much joy. I also am proud of the work I did with Instagram and Facebook to help change their censorship policies so that real birthing bodies can now be shown on those platforms.
Who are some women in your field that you look to for inspiration?
There are so many. The co-founder of Birth Becomes You, Jennifer Mason. She’s been my business partner for years and my best friend even longer. She is constantly pushing us to try new things, to engage better with our community, and to take risks. I also greatly admire China Tolliver. She’s a fierce advocate, a visionary, a photographer, a creator and an entrepreneur. The work she does for reproductive rights and equal access to quality maternity care for all people, and especially Black, Latinx, Indigenous, and LGBTQ+ communities is vitally important. I’m also a huge fan of Krista Evans and Hannah Palamara. They’re birth photographers and artists based in Canada and the UK, respectively.
Career and/or life advice for other babes (both inside and outside of your industry?)
Doing big things is scary and hard. You’ll lose friends. You’ll make mistakes. You’ll receive a lot of push back. There were so many times when I wanted to quit. When I wanted to back down. But nothing good ever comes without resistance. Also: nothing good comes without humility and an open mindset. My understanding of birth and reproductive rights has changed so much over the last decade. Listening to folks with different perspectives is vital. Being willing to admit that you’ve contributed to systems of oppression is essential. Losing clients and followers because you’ve shared your views on important topics isn’t a loss—it’s a sign of integrity. Don’t be afraid to do it.
Connect with Nicole:
Personal IG / Business IG / Website / Email
This interview has been condensed and edited.
In partnership with: Flodesk
Flodesk designs emails people actually love to get in their inbox—emails that look great on any device. Sign up here for 50% off a lifetime subscription (only $19/mo!)
*This is an affiliate partnership. That means when you shop using the links we provide, we earn a small commission. Interested in advertising or partnering with us? Click here.
Join our community:
Instagram / Facebook / Shop Our Merch / Newsletter / Nominate a Babe
